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An Ode to Vallenato

You can always count on our friends at Cinema Tropical to bring us the best of Latin cinema. This time they’re outdone themselves by pairing up with the Consulate General of Colombia in New York to screen Ciro Guerra’s award-winning Los Viajes del Viento on Thursday and Friday, May 27 & 28, 7pm at 92YTribeca. The film, which was shot across 84 locations along the country’s Northern coast, was all everyone was talking about at Cannes last year (could’ve also been the fact that it marked Colombia’s return to the prestigious film fest after a decade-long absence).

Seriously, you don’t want to miss this one, especially if you have an appreciation for vallenato. And who doesn’t? Personally, I just think life is better with Carlos Vives in it.

For most of his life, Ignacio Carrillo (played by the prominent Vallenato composer Marciano Martínez) has traveled the villages of northern Colombia, playing traditional songs on his accordion, a legendary instrument said to have once belonged to the devil. He eventually married and settled in a small town, leaving the nomadic life behind. But after the traumatic death of his wife, he vows to never play the cursed accordion again, and embarks on one last journey to return the instrument to its rightful owner.

On the way, Ignacio is followed by Fermín, a spirited teenager determined to become his apprentice. Tired of loneliness, Ignacio accepts the young man as his pupil and together they traverse the vast Colombian terrain, discovering the musical diversity of Caribbean culture. Hardened by a life of solitude, Ignacio tries to discourage Fermín from following in his footsteps, but destiny has different plans for them.